Product Info

Platform

Switch

Publisher

Marvelous Entertainment, XSEED Games

Developer

HONEY∞PARADE GAMES

Series

Senran Kagura

Genre

Adventure, Simulation, Other

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

6.9 GB

Release Date (NA)

Sep 13, 2018

Release Date (JP)

Nov 24, 2017

Purchase From

eShop

The Senran Kagura series is known for busty shinobi females fighting each other, but there have also been many spin-off titles such as last year’s water gun battle game, Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash. Senran Kagura Reflexions, however, is not like the others. Massages are serious business in this one; in fact, rubbing your favorite shinobi’s body is its main focus, and it’s the type of game that rarely gets released outside of Japan. That said, it also feels similar to a dating simulator, and even though only one character is available, the game gives players a small taste of what they are like.

Senran Kagura Reflexions – Help Wanted

The game begins in the late afternoon after school, and Senran Kagura’s heroine, Asuka, needs help because her body is sore and she has anxiety. She notices you and turns to you for assistance. That’s when the gameplay kicks in with you holding her hands and having the option to massage any part of them: individual fingertips, thumbs, and palms. Anywhere outside of those, and Asuka will tell you that’s not the desired area. From there, your shinobi character will go further into the world of applying pressure to the body for relief — AKA reflexology — across two phases that the game calls Standard and Glorious.

Standard Reflexology – Let the Dreams Begin

Depending on where you massage Asuka’s hands, you will enter a dream-like sequence. You will play up to six different scenarios, each one showcasing her in sexualized attire that matches the dream’s settings, such as a volleyball team outfit for a gym setting or a pop idol costume at a backstage concert. (If you choose to download other female characters, each one will have their own outfit and sequence.)

After the short bit of story, your character will ask for assistance on massages, and two floating gloves will then float onto the screen. You will have the option to touch anywhere to help relieve the pain with some areas being better than others. Asuka will react and let you know how she feels, so pay attention and adjust your technique accordingly.

You can also turn her around to find more areas to massage, and there is even the option to spray her with water, though the latter is more of a fan service than to provide any real benefit.

Depending on the spot where you focus your massage, you will see a colored effect appear around that area, and if you keep it up, similarly colored effects will also show up in the background. Ultimately, the color that’s showcased during this massage will help determine the story’s ending. Once you’ve successfully found and primed the necessary part to massage, you will be prompted to start the “Glorious Reflexology.”

Glorious Reflexology – Next Level with Tools

Glorious Reflexology takes massaging to a new level. Before you begin, you will be asked which massage tool to use — hands, roller, brush, or electric — though the roller, brush and the electric massage tools require some playthroughs to unlock them. Regardless of what is being used, an emotion gauge will display and let you know if you are massaging too hard or too lightly. The goal is to fill the gauge completely before time runs out, and as long as you keep your character in the “happy” area, finishing the scene shouldn’t be an issue.

The hand massage tool lets you use your hands to directly stimulate your companion’s thighs. Using the Joy-Cons actually makes the massage enjoyable once you figure out the pattern to keep her happy, and of the different tools, this was the easiest to pick up and learn.

The roller massage is tricky at first, especially if you are using the Joy-Con. You only need one Joy-Con to massage your character’s back thigh, but you will need to keep the controller flat as you move it up and down. Doing the movement at the wrong angle will make finishing the task in time difficult.

The brush massage tool is simple, but players may find this to be their least favorite one to use since it merely requires you to stroke back and forth on Asuka’s arm. Plus, her pose isn’t erotic in comparison to the other tools.

On the other hand, the electric massage tool is the most controversial one in the game since it can easily be mistaken for another “massage” tool. With this one, you push it against Asuka’s body and vibrate away. You’ll constantly be lifting and pushing the tool, so unless you want some weird stares and laughter from people, it is highly recommended that you not use this particular one in public.

A Happy Ending

Once you complete all the phases in each reflexology course, you will be back in the course’s prior dream setting. After a few closing lines of dialogue, the scene ends, and an empty crystal appears on screen, filling with a liquid based on the color you were given during the Standard Reflexology phase. The color in the crystal can change depending on how you massage for the rest of the game and will affect the ending you receive.

The game will then take you out of Asuka’s dream sequence and return you to the school. If the crystal is not fully filled, you can continue your massages and dream sequences until it is. At that point, Asuka will begin talking about her feelings toward you, and depending the final color you end up with, the dialogue will be different, ranging from just being close friends to a heart-throbbing “I love you.”

After the credits role, you will earn a puzzle piece, and collecting all the pieces will display an illustration, making it a decent incentive to keep you playing aside from a desire to view all the dream sequences and different ending conversations. Players can expect to finish each story in one to two hours and complete the puzzle within eight.

Dress Up and Pose

Senran Kagura games have always tried to showcase their characters, and this one is no different. Upon completing the game, you will unlock not only costumes but also background settings, hairstyles, and music. You can then dress up and pose your favorite Senran Kagura character, which is great for fans of the series.

Play Any Way You Desire

Reflexions has many ways to play whether your Nintendo Switch is docked or not. That said, it is emphasized that you play with just the Joy-Cons to utilize the HD rumble and motion controls. To its credit, the game does a great job using these features, but it can become a bit cumbersome at times when trying to massage in the Standard Reflexology phase.

The game is also a bit short, but considering the fact that it is only about massaging and the initial price tag is only $9.99, that is to be expected. If you want to play with other females, however, you will have to cough up an extra $9.99 per character, which is the same price as the full game by itself, so expect to drop $50 if you want to play with Asuka, Yumi, Murasaki, Ryōna, and Yomi.

Massage Complete

Senran Kagura Reflexions is a guilty pleasure of a game that you will not often see released outside of Japan. It is also quite short, and the price point is a bit hard to swallow when you add all the characters together. However, it makes good use of the Joy-Cons and the HD Rumble. Just be mindful when playing in public, so keep calm and rub on.

A Nintendo Switch review code was provided by XSEED Games for this review.